Ice block releaser and storage element



Feb. 2, 1960 v. s. SHARPE 2,923,139

ICE BLOCK RELEASER AND STORAGE ELEMENT Filed Jan. 8, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Var/0s 6'. Shy 1e HIS ATTORNEY Feb. 2, 1960 Filed Jan. 8, 1959 V. G. SHARPE ICE BLOCK RELEASER AND STORAGE ELEMENT 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 mmvron.

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United States Patent 2,923,139 ICE BLOCK RELEASER AND STORAGE ELEMENT Verlos G. Sharpe, Xenia, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application January 8, 1959, Serial No. 785,645 g i 6 Claims. c1. 62344) This invention relates to refrigeration and particularly to an arrangement for harvesting ice blocks from freezing devices employed in household refrigerators.

In the present day refrigeration art, it is customary to supply with the purchase of a household refrigerator cabinet three or four similar or companion ice block freezing devices of the tray and grid type wherein walls of the grid are tilted to release ice blocks therefrom by movement of an actuating bar or member incorporated in the construction of the freezing device. Due to the great force required to tilt walls of a grid structure against ice in a tray of a freezing device, the incorporation of a grid wall actuating bar or member in the construction of a grid structure is undesirable and somewhat imprao tical because it is susceptible of being damaged or broken and the freezing device is then cast aside and is not thereafter used. It is highly desirable and more practical to tilt walls of a grid in a freezing tray by an actuating means or member which is not a part of the structure of a tray and grid type freezing device. I therefore contemplate tilting grid walls in a freezing device by a grid wall actuator which is unattached to and separate from the freezing device and preferably associated with or forming a part of a support element upon which the device is supported during the act of releasing ice blocks therefrom.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved arrangement for and method of releasing ice blocks from a. freezing device of a tray and grid type.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved arrangement for tilting walls of a grid in a tray and grid type freezing device which is devoid of a wall actuating means or member in the structure of the device.

A further object of my invention is to associate with or incorporate in a support element upon which a freezing device is supported while releasing ice blocks therefrom a means that will tilt unlinked together walls of a grid within the device without flexing the tray thereof independently of one another to facilitate removal of ice blocks from the device.

In carrying out the foregoing objects, it is a still further and more specific object of my invention to provide stationary means on a portable combined freezing device support and ice block storage bucket element having a cover pivotally mounted thereon which means, while being unattached to and separate from a freezing device placed on the support, is rendered effective in response to movement of the cover for tilting grid walls in the device supported on the support to eject ice blocks from their compartments into the bucket of the element.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a front view of a multiple chambered household refrigerator cabinet with its main door open and 2,923,139 Patented Feb. 2, 1960 ICC 2 a part of an auxiliary inner freezing chamber door broken away showing freezing devices and a portable combined covered ice block releaser and storage bucket element of the present invention removably located in the freezing chamber;

Figure 2 is a broken view of a unitary tray and grid freezing device with the tray in section showing means for locking the grid in the tray and means for returning walls of the grid to their normal inclined position in the tray;

Figure3 is a broken top view of the unitary freezing device shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 2 showing transverse grid walls of the freezing device movably interlocked with a longitudinal partition;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 3 showing opposed embossations in the bottom wall of the tray member of the unitary freezing device;

Figure 6 is an enlarged broken top view of the covered combined ice block releaser'and storage bucket element with a part of its cover broken away showing a freezing device support thereon;

Figure 7 is a broken vertically sectional view taken on the line 77 of Figure 6 showing spaced apart abutments on the combined element forming the support for receiving and supporting a unitary tray and grid type freezing device illustrated in Figures 2, 3 and 4;

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 showing the cover of the combined element opened with a unitary freezing device supported on the support thereof; and

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figures 7 and 8 showing grid walls in a tray of a freezing device on the combined element tilted and ice blocks released from'their compartments into the bucket of the element.

Referring to the drawings, for illustrating the invention, I show in Figure 1 thereof a refrigerating apparatus including an insulated household refrigerator cabinet 15 of the multiple chamber type in conjunction with which the present invention is used. Cabinet 15 is provided with a lower unfrozen food storage chamber 16 which is cooled to atemperature of from, for example, 37 to removably disposed therein into ice blocks for table use in chilling salads or the like and drinks in glasses. Chamber 19 is refrigerated by an evaporator 21, of the refrigerating system associated with cabinet 15, which evaporator is in the form of.-a conduit coiled or wrapped" around the outside of and secured to a metal can-like member 22 forming the liner of chamber 19. An auxiliary door 23, shown broken away in Figure 1, is hingedly mounted at the front of chamber 19 to provide an individual closure for the access opening thereof as is conventional in the art. Another insulated main door structure 24 hingedly mounted on cabinet 15, for hori-- zontal swinging movement relative thereto, extends across the front of both chambers 16 and 19 and is provided with a resilient gasket 26 for sealingly engaging the front face of cabinet 15. A plurality of vertically spaced apart shelves '27 are secured, in any suitable or desirable manner, directly to a side wall of liner 22 within chamber 19 so as to be in metal to metal contact therewith and consequently with evaporator 21. Each shelf 27 is adapted to support, in an upright position, a unitary freezing device, generally represented by the reference numeral in Figure l and shown more clearly in other figures of the drawings.

Each of the unitary freezing devices 30 include an elongated sheet metal pan or tray member 31 provided with a bottom 32, outwardly inclined sides 33. and ends 34 and 35 (see Figures 2, 3 and 4). The rear end 34 of tray 31 is provided with an opening 36] adjacent a top rim 37 on the tray which extends therearound and the other or front end 35 of tray 31 is notched out'as at 38(see Figures 2 and 3), Notch. 38 extends through -'trayrim 37 and downwardly a short distance along end wall 35 for a purpose to be hereinafter described, The, rim 37 at the front of tray 31 is provided with a de pending apron-like portion 39 to whichv a cam handle 41 is pivotaly mounted. Handle 41 serves as, a lever or cam for prying the bottom 32 ofFa tray member 31'upwardly loose from a freezing support, shelf flfl, whenra freezingdevice 301is to be'rrem ovefd from chamb er 19; as. iscommon in the art. A movablewalledgrid, struc ture is locked in tray 31 against detachment therefrom.

and the grid together with the tray member form one of? theplurality of unitary freezing devices 30; A,parttof the grid structure locked in tray 31 is movable ashort distance upwardly relative thereto as and infarnanner to be hereinafter described. The grid structure in a dc vice 30 includes a single one-piece metal longitudinal partition 43 and a plurality of substantially inflexible metal walls 44 loosely mounted on partition 43 andfextending transversely thereacross and'across the. interior of tray 31 so as to be anchored in the tray for tilting movement with respect thereto and to partition 43.. Pat-- tition 43 and cross walls 44 divide the, interior of tray member 31 into compartments in which water is to be frozen into separated ice blocks. Transverse or cross walls 44 of the grid are normally disposed or lie in an acute inclined angular plane, within, tray member 31, with respect to the vertical and are adapted to be tilted toward or slightly beyond a vertical plane for enlarging the ice block compartments intermediate walls 44 and for loosening and releasing ice blocks from their compartments as will be hereinafter described. Partition 43 is provided with a finger-like, projection 46 at its one end which extends through the opening. 36. in the rear wall 34 of tray member 31 and a leaf or-the like spring 47 is interposed between projection 46 and rim 737, of the tray. The opposed end of partition '43 is provided with a raised and thence downwardly and outwardly depending hook-like projection 48'which extends through notch 38 at the front end of tray 31. A leaf or the like spring 49 is-disposed between the tray rim 37 and proiection 48. Partition 43 is further provided with a, plurality of spaced apart notches 51 in itsbottom edge each having a rounded shoulder portion 52.

Each: grid cross Wall 44 has a vertically elongated opening 53 therein which receives the lon itudinal partition 43 with aweb portion 54 below opening 53 fitted in a notch 51 of the partition. An outwardly bent integral foot 56 on each of the transverse grid walls 44 is posi tioned beneath the shoulder portion-52 of a notch 51 in partition 43 and forms a cam means onttlnese grid walls (see Figure 5) for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

It is to be noted that the top portion of each grid cross wall 44 extends above the top of tray 31 and consequently above iceblocks formed therein and is provided with opposed ears 57 (see Figure 4) which overlap the tray rim 37 along sides thereof. In order to align and to at all times maintain cross grid walls 44in parallel relation-" ship with oneanother, thebottom wall 32 of tray 31 of each freezing device 30. is provided with two spaced rows of raised opposed embossations 58 fo-rming a-socket 59 therebetween. (see Figure 5 which receives the straight bottom edge portion of walls 44 beyond the. foot 56 formed-thereon. Vhen'force ,is applied tog the upperpor tion of the cross. grid walls 744 in the presently disclosed-1 structure, to tilt them toward the vertical, these walls pivot in the notches 51 of partition 43 and rock in the sockets 59, provided by the opposed embossations 58, in the rows thereof in the bottom of tray 31. This tilting movement of walls 44 causes the feet 56 thereon to pry against shoulders 52 of notches 51 in partition 43 whereby this partition is cammed upwardly within tray 31 against the biasing action of springs 47 and 49 to further compress these springs between the rim 37 of tray 31 and the projections 46 and 48 at ends of the longitudinal partition to store up energy in the springs. Foot 56 on each wall 44. serves a dual purpose in the present freezing device in that the feet help to eject ice blocks from their compartments and also cause the partition 43 to compress springs 47 and 49. Thus after all ice blocks have been released 'from a freezing device 30, the upwardly cammed partition 43 is forced downwardly by the stored energy in springs 47 and 49 whereby shouldered portionsSZ of notches 51 bear against thefeet 56 on walls 44. to rock or rotate these cross walls back. into their normal inclined ice blockforming positionwithin the tray 31 automatically in response to the action of springs 47. and 49. The grid walls 43 and 44 are loosely interlocked together and the grid structure is locked in tray 31 against detachment or removal therefrom to provide a unitary freezing device which is devoid of a grid Wall actuation bar or member within the construction thereof as has heretofore been customary and wherein the present device differs or is distinguished from former freezing devices of this type. In providing this. distin-. guishing feature, I reduce to a minimum the likelihood of an actuating wall or member in a grid structure becoming damaged or broken and of damagingother of the walls of a grid in a tray.

Having described: the construction of the presently disclosed improved freezing devices 30: used in the refrigerator cabinet 15 it is, inv accordance with my invention, desired to provide a.novel means or method of ejecting or harvesting ice blocks from any selected one of. the devices. This means is in the present disclosure in the form of a combined freezing device support element and grid wall actuating member wherein the actuating memher is unattached to and separate from a. freezing device 30 and forms the sole means of engaging. each of thegrid walls .44 and causing tilting thereofwithin tray 31. More specifically, I provide a portable-combinedv support and ice block storage bucket element which has a. cover pivotally mounted thereonforclosing the bucketand has abutments associatedwiththe freezing device support thereof adapted to tilt across; walls. of the grid. of a freezing device invertedlyplaced on the support to release ice blocks from the device into the bucket in response to a movement of the bucket. cover or closuremeans. Such an element is generallyindicatedbythe reference numeral 65 in Eigure l as .removably supported within thefreeb ingchamber 19 of refrigerator cabinet 15 and it is" to be understood that the combined element may, if desired, be supported in chamber 16 of cabinet 10 or it may be removed from the. refrigerator and supported at any point remotes therefrom such asv on a cocktail serving table or the li-ke.- This combined element 65'is best shown .inFiguresS and .6 of the drawings and may be of anydesirable size, is substantially rectangular in shape and'is preferably molded from a suitable nonmetallic material to provide a rigid lightweight structure. Ele

ment 65'includes a bottom 66, a front wall '67, a rear a pair of opposed elongated supports for receiving therim 37 of tray 31 of one of the freezing devices. 30 to invertedly support the device on element 65: The abutmerits 7i1. tof-the freezing, device support of. combined;

element 65 form or provide a freezing device grid wall actuating member which is unattached to and separate from the devices 30 to form the sole means for engaging each of the grid walls 44 and tilting them. The open top of the bucket portion of element 65 is adapted to be closed by a molded plastic closure means or cover 72 which is reenforced, to prevent breakage thereof, by securing metal bracket-like members 73 thereto in any suitable or desirable manner. Each bracket 73 has a depending hinge arm part 74 and a pin or shaft 76 extending through these arms is anchored at its ends in a hole provided in side walls 69 of the bucket portion of element 65 to pivotally mount or hingedly attach the cover 72 thereto for swinging movement. Another pin or shaft 77 is secured to and extends between the brackets 73 near the hinged end of cover 72 above shaft 76 for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The front end of cover 72 is provided with a lip 78 extending outwardly beyond the front wall 67 of bucket element 65 which forms a handle for swinging the cover about its pivotal mounting to open and/or close the open-top bucket. Abutments 71 are stationary with respect to one another and to the support formed thereby for receiving a freezing device thereon. Cover 72 or" the combined bucket and freezing device support may be swung while element 65 is located in the freezing chamber 19 of cabinet or the element may be removed from chamber 19 and supported on a kitchen work ledge, a cocktail serving table or on a dinner table and the cover swung.

Assume that water in an upright unitary freezing device within chamber 19 of the refrigerator cabinet 15 is hard-frozen and that it is now desired to harvest some ice blocks. Main cabinet door 24 and freezing chamber or inner door 23 are opened. A unitary freezing device 30 is removed from its freezing support and the handle 78 of cover 72 on element 65, irrespective of where this element is located and supported, is grasped and swung upward thus opening the bucket portion of element 65 to expose the support, abutments 71, thereon. Cover 72 is swung about its pivotal mounting into a substantially angle with respect to the bucket portion of element 65 to open same. The removed freezing device with its grid walls and ice blocks therein is rotated into an inverted position and placed on the bucket portion of element 65 near the rear thereof with the rim 37 on tray 31 resting on the freezing device support formed by the opposed rows of spaced apart abutments 71 as shown in Figure 8 of the drawings. Ears 57 on the projecting portion of cross grid walls 44 within the tray of the invertedly supported device 30 depend into the spaces of the support F intermediate abutments 71 and are aligned with and adapted to engage these spaced apart abutments. Swinging of cover 72 in a downward or bucket closing direction will now rotate pin or shaft 77 about the pivot shaft 74 whereby the shaft 77 bears against the rear end of the freezing device and slides same relative to or along its support to cause the projecting ears 57 on the grid cross wall 44 nearest the back of tray 3'1 to engage opposed abutments 71. It is here desired to point out that the distance between succeeding abutments 71 is progressively increased, as viewed from left to right in Figure 8, by approximately of an inch as compared to the sub stantially equal space between adjacent grid Walls 44 and 1 this provides the feature of obtaining a tilting of the walls 44 one after the other in succession in the present disclosure as is now well-known in the art. Continued swinging of cover 72 in its one direction toward or into bucket closing position further slides the freezing device 30 along its support and forces the grid walls 44 to individually react, at two spaced apart points, against an abutment 71 engaged thereby whereby walls 44 are tilted independently of one another toward the vertical in a 6 bucket portion of element 65. During tilting of walls 44, the foot 56 thereon elevates partition 43 relative to tray 31 to facilitate ice block removal and to compress the springs 47 and 49. While the ice blocks are substantially instantaneously released from their compartments, they are in reality progressively loosened and ejected from a'freezing device so that the force required to swing cover 72 to its bucket closing position is barely noticeable-and therefore not objectionable. Upon bringing cover 72 of element 65 to its closed position on the bucket portion thereof all ice blocks will be ejected from the freezing device 30 (see Figure 9). When cover 72 is again opened to remove the emptied freezing device from element 65 and to provide access to released ice blocks in the bucket, device 30 is rotated into an upright position and the springs 47 and 49 return the grid cross walls 44 to their normal inclined ice block compartment forming position.

It should, from the foregoing, be apparent that I have constructed a tray and grid type freezing device which is devoid of a grid wall actuating bar or member in the structure thereof and yet provided for individually tilting the grid walls although they are not linked to one another by such a member for movement thereby. The cover of the combined element herein disclosed serves as a lever to tilt grid walls of a freezing device; and since I it is attached to an element upon which it is necessary to place a freezing device for releasing ice therefrom, this lever cannot be misplaced or lost as is the case of separate small levers of prior art devices that become mixed with and concealed by or hidden among kitchen utensils such as knives, forks and spoons or the like. By my invention, I reduce to a minimum the likelihood of a freezing device grid wall actuating member becoming damaged or broken and also prevent grid walls tilted thereby from being damaged whereby to prolong the operative life of a plurality of unitary freezing devices employed in conjunction with the use of a household refrigerator cabinet. In ridding a grid for a freezing device of a grid wall actuating member or wall, I simplify assembly operations of parts of the grid to one another.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to 'be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In combination, a portable ice block storage bucket having a cover pivotally mounted thereon and provided with a plurality of spaced apart aligned abutments within the bucket the tops of which form'a freezing device support thereon, a freezing device adapted to be supported on the support of said bucket during removal of ice from said device, said freezing device comprising an elongated tray having spaced apart substantially inflexible grid walls extending transversely thereacross and dividing the in? 7 terior thereof into compartments in which water is frozen into ice' blocks, said grid walls being anchored in said tray for. tilting movement relative thereto and projecting above ice blocks therein, said abutments in said bucket forming the sole means for engaging each of said transverse grid walls and causing said relative tilting move: ment thereof, said freezing device together with its grid walls and ice blocks therein being rotatable and placeable in aninverted position upon said bucket with said tray slidably supported on the support thereof and with the projecting. portion of said grid walls aligned'with and adapted to engage said spaced apart abutments in the bucket, said cover being swingable about its pivotal mounting on said bucket to open and/or close same, means movable in response to a swinging movement of said cover in one direction for sliding said freezing device lengthwise along said support on the bucket to shift the projecting portion of said grid walls into engagement with one of said plurality of abutments, and continued swing i ing of said cover in said one direction further sliding said freezing device along the support on the bucket to force saidgrid walls to rea'ct against the abutment engagedthereby and be tilted-independently ofone aother in-adirection opposite the' 'direction of: sliding movement of said freeezing device within-said tray for mechanically ejecting ice blocks from their compartments. intosaid bucket.

2. In combination, a freezing device-receiving and-sup port elementprovided" with a" plurality of spaced apart' grid" walls and causingsaid relative tilting movement thereof, said freezing device together with -its-' grid walls and ice blocks therein being rotatable andplaceable in an inverted position upon said element with saidjtray slidably supported on the support thereof and with: the projecting portion of said grid walls aligned with and adapted to engage said spaced apart stationary abutments'on the element, movable means for sliding said 'freezing'device in one direction lengthwise along the support of saidelementto shift the projecting portion of said grid walls into engagement'with one of said plurality of abutments, and-continued movement of said movabl'ermeans further slidingthe freezing device in said one direction along the support of said element to force said grid walls. to react against the stationary abutment engaged therebyand be tiltedindependently of one another within-Said traytin a direction opposite the direction of sliding movement of the freezingdevice for mechanically ejecting-ice blocks from their compartments.

3. In combination, a freezing device support element, a-freezing device grid wall actuating member associated with said element and provided with a pluralityzof spaced apart abutments, a freezing device adapted toib'e supported on the support of said element during removal of ice fronrsaid device, said freezing device comprising an elongated tray member having spaced apart grid Walls extendingtransversely thereacross and dividing the interior thereof into compartments in which water isfrozenr into ice blocks, said grid walls being tiltable relative-to said tray member and projecting above the icerblocksttherein, said actuating member being unattached to and-separate from the freezing device whereby said abutments thereon form the sole means for engaging each of said transverse grid walls and causing said relative tilting thereof, said freezing device together with its grid walls and ice blocks therein being placeable upon said element withsaid tray member supported on the support thereof and with the projecting portion of said grid walls aligned with and adapted to engage the spaced apart abutments on said actuating member, means for sliding one of saidmembars in one direction lengthwise relative to the other of saidmembers to shift the projecting portion of said grid walls into engagement with one of said plurality of abutments, and continued movement of said means further sliding the slidable member in said one direction lengthwise of said other member to forcessaid gridwalls to react against the abutment engaged thereby andbettilted independently of one another with respect to said tray members-for mechanically loosening ice blocks from their compartments.

4-. In combination, a portable eombined freezing device, support and ice block storage bucket element pro-- vided with a plurality of tspacedflapartabutmentslstationarily, associated with said support andhaving a cover pivotally attached'thereto for closingthe'bucket thereof,

arfreezin'g ,delvice adaptedv 'toibe L supportedsonthe support a 8 of" said-combined element during removal of ice from said devi'ce,*said freezingdevice comprising an elongated trayhaving spaced apartgrid walls extending transversely thereacross and dividing the interior thereof into compartm'ents in which water is frozen into ice blocks, said grid walls b'eingtiltable'relative to said tray and projecting above ice-blockstherein, said abutments on said element forming the solemeans for engaging each of said transverse gridwalls and causing said relative tilting thereof, said freezing device together with its grid walls and ice blocks therein being placeable upon said element with said tray slidably support on the support thereof and with the projecting portion of said grid walls aligned with and adapted to engagesaidspaced apart stationary abutments on the: element, said cover of said combined element'being swingableabou't its pivotal attachment thereto'for opening and/or closing said bucket thereof, means movable in re'sponseto' a swinging movement of said cover in one direction for sliding said freezing device lengthwise.along'the support of said combined element to shiftthe projecting portion of said grid walls into engagement withone ofsaid plurality of abutments, and continued swinging of'said cover in said one direction further sliding said freezing device along the support on said element to force said grid walls to react against the abutment engaged thereby and be tilted independently of one another within said tray for mechanically loosening ice blocks from their compartments.

5. In combination, a portable ice block storage bucket having a cover pivotally attached thereto and a freezing device support formed integrally thereon, said support comprising opposed rows of a plurality of spaced apart aligned'abutrnents, a freezing deviceadapted to be supported ont the'support of said bucket during removal of ice'from said device, said freezing devicecomprising an elongated tray having spaced apart grid walls'extending thereacross and dividing the interior thereof intocompartments in which Water is frozen into ice blocks, said grid walls being tiltable relative to said tray and projecting above. theice blocks therein over opposed sides of the tray, said abutments in the opposed rows thereof forming the sole. meansxfor' engaging each of said transverse grid walls and causing said relative tilting thereof, said freezing device together with its grid walls and ice blocks therein beingrotatable and placeable in an inverted positionv upon said bucket with said tray slidably supported on the-support thereof and with the portion of said grid walls projecting over the sides of said tray aligned with and adapted to engage the spaced apart abutments in said opposed rows thereof, said cover being swingable about its pivotal-attachment to said bucket to open and/ or close same, meansmovable in response to a swinging movement of said cover in one direction for sliding said freezing device lengthwise along said support on the bucket to shift the projecting portion of said grid walls into engagement with one of-said plurality of abutments in said opposed rows thereof, and continued swinging of said cover in said one directionfurther sliding said freezing device along the support on the bucket'to force said grid walls to react at two spaced apart points therealong against the opposed abutments engaged thereby and be tilted independently of one'another'ina direction opposite the direction ofsliding movement of said freezing device within said tray for mechanically ejecting ice blocks from their compartments into said bucket.

6. In combination, an elongated freezing device support'provided'by the top of a plurality of spaced apart abutments whichf are-stationary with respect to one another and which forma freezing device grid wall actuating member unattached to and separate from a freezing device to be received on said support, a freezing device adapted to be supported'on said support duringremoval of ice blocks fromsaid device said freezing device comprising an elongated tray member having spaced apart v,nonlinlted togethe'r grid walls extending transversely thereacross and dividing the interior thereof into compartments in which water is frozen into ice blocks, said nonlinked together grid walls being tiltable independently of one another relative to said tray member and having a portion thereof projecting above ice blocks there-in, said freezing device together with its grid walls and ice blocks therein being rotatable and placeable in an inverted position upon said support with said tray member supported thereon and with said projecting portion of the grid walls disposed between, aligned with and adapted to engage said spaced apart abutments, and means for sliding one of said members lengthwise along the other of said 10 members to force said projecting portion of said grid Walls into engagement with said abutments whereby they react thereagainst and are tilted within said tray member to mechanically release ice blocks from their compart- 5 ments in said freezing device.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 2,403,846 Carney July 9, 1946 2,586,588 Weseman Feb. 19, 1952 2,867,995 Weinrich Jan. 13, 1959 

